It Runs In The Family
by mashmallo2020
Summary: AU. How Peeta's son, Evan Mellark, falls in love with Katniss's eldest daughter, Annalise Hawthorne. One-shot.
I first notice Annalise Hawthorne when my friend Randy is beating up a little Seam kid.

The other merchant boys and I stand around watching the fight. Well it isn't really a fight, as the Seam kid is lying on the ground practically unconscious as Randy continues beating him. I feel extremely uneasy, and want to tell Randy to stop, but I do not want to appear weak to my friends. I am admonishing myself for my cowardice, when Annalise shows up.

"Hey!" She shouts. "Hey! What do you think you're doing?"

Randy looks up and raises an eyebrow at her. "What does it matter to you what I am doing, sweetie?" He answers cockily.

To my surprise, Annalise walks right up to him and glares at him menacingly. "It matters to me," she seethes, "because you have no right to beat up Seam kids half your size."

Her confident stance and words amaze me. I think she is so brave and strong for standing up to Randy, who is a a good foot taller than her and his gang is standing behind him nonetheless.

Randy does not give in however. "Who are you to lecture me about my rights? You're just a little Seam slut..."

No one, including Randy, sees the punch coming until it lands with a resounding crunch on his face. Randy looks aghast as he cradles his broken nose, which has started gushing blood.

"Let's go." He barks after he gets back to his senses.

All the merchant boys quickly follow behind him as he leaves the alley, glancing back uneasily at the fearless girl who had punched their leader.

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Annalise Hawthorne is in a lot of my classes in school, and during most of them I spend my time watching her instead of paying attention to the lesson. My grades suffer, but I learn a great deal about the mysterious girl.

She is incredibly talented in math and science, although she doesn't participate in class much. When she is called on by the teacher, it is very clear that she is one of the smartest students in the class.

She is very quiet and rather sullen. Once in awhile I catch her smiling as she stares off into the distance.

She is also very oblivious, much to my satisfaction, to the many boys our age that practically worship her.

Today as I sit in class, just like usual, I can't take my eyes off Annalise. I attempt to stare at her subtly, so others won't notice, particularly merchant kids who would gossip about my acute interest in the girl and get me into trouble.

I am mesmerized by the steely vortex of her eyes as she stares outside the window of the classroom. Whenever I look at her it seems like time loses all purpose and meaning. It plainly stops. Eventually, I am yanked out of my reverie by the teacher.

"Mr. Mellark? Did you hear what I just asked you?" Mrs. Crankbottom inquires, an agitated lilt in her voice. I swallow.

"No ma'am. Could you repeat the question?" The class snickers while Mrs. Crankbottom sighs audibly.

"Next time, Mr. Mellark, pay attention to the lesson instead of checking out girls." She says.

I flush scarlet, while my friends shoot me curious looks clearly wondering whom I was checking out. I avoid looking at them and nod slightly at the teacher.

When Mrs. Crankbottom moves on with the lesson, I glance over at Annalise.

Her shoulders are shaking with silent laughter.

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Whether it was because of her intimidating scowls or haughty personality, Annalise doesn't have many friends. In fact, she only has one. Katrina.

Katrina's mother was merchant-born, but was disowned by her family and forced to move to the Seam. She had gotten pregnant and had a baby at the age of fifteen. If that wasn't bad enough, her parents figured out that the father was a Seam boy.

For this reason, Katrina is basically shunned by all the merchant girls. Seam girls also avoid her because their parents think that Katrina is a bad influence.

Annalise, however, is above ignoring a person because of something that is not even her fault. She befriended Katrina, and the two became very good friends.

People gossiped mercilessly, but I respected Annalise all the more.

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Annalise is absolutely gorgeous. Her hair is long, dark, and wavy. Her olive skin is flawless. Her eyes are stormy pools of grey. And her body is the perfect balance between lean and curvy. It is not a surprise that she catches the attention of many boys.

Annalise's looks are not the only thing that attracts me. It is her bravery, her confidence, and her fierce protectiveness of her siblings that intrigues me.

It is common knowledge in District Twelve that her parents are illegal hunters and that they are teaching their eldest daughter to hunt as well. I am amazed to what lengths Annalise goes to help her family. She isn't fazed by the unpredictable danger and deadly consequences of her activities. In fact, it is as if she enjoys them. She barters mercilessly during her trades, and always gets the better end of the deal. Almost everyone in the District is intimidated by her, and if they are not, they deeply respect her.

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After school one day, I notice a little Seam girl running up to Annalise.

"Lissie!" The little girl squeals, throwing her arms around Annalise.

A radiant smile lights up Annalise's face.

I stop breathing.

This must be the smile she saves for people she loves.

How I wish I could be one of them.

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When I am sitting bored to death in Panem History class one day. Our teacher asks Annalise (who happens to be sitting in front of me) why the Capitol created the Hunger Games. Everyone in the class is expecting Annalise to say that the Hunger Games were created to allow the Districts the ability to repay the Capitol for their generosity and forgiveness by sacrificing lives in exchange for their safety.

However, Annalise answers completely differently.

"The Capitol created the sadistic and barbaric fight to the death they call the "Hunger Games" to intimidate the Districts. They are murdering innocent children for the entertainment of silly, overprivileged, and brainwashed citizens of the Capitol. The Hunger Games is a way for the Capitol to show every person living in the Districts that they are powerless from protecting their loved ones from the horrible murder-fest that the Hunger Games are."

A deafening silence falls over our classroom.

I think the only reason that no one, including our teacher, didn't report Annalise, was because everyone in that classroom knew that what she had said was completely true.

Our classmates whispered to each other about Annalise's treasonous comments, while I fell even more in love with her than I was before.

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Annalise's family often comes by to trade at the Mellark Bakery which is run by my father.

Whenever she comes by to trade, I cannot help watching her the entire time she is there neglecting whatever I am doing at the moment. Only after the door closes behind her, I admonish myself for staring at her so obviously. She probably thinks I'm a freak.

One day, when Annalise comes by to trade with her father, my father comments how cleanly the arrow had pierced the eye of each squirrel.

"Just like her mother." Annalise's father answers, proudly gazing upon his eldest daughter. My father stiffens at this, while Annalise flushes scarlet and mutters something unintelligibly.

Later, I ask my father if he knew Annalise's mother. He looks at me strangely, and after a moment answers begrudgingly.

"I did... In fact, I was in love with her." My father sighs loudly.

"However I never gathered enough courage to talk to her." He adds sadly.

He doesn't say anything after that, and I get the message that I shouldn't mention Annalise's mother to him again.

I promise myself I would be braver than my father.

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I date girls. Plenty of girls. The entire time I am thinking how none of them will ever be Annalise.

Time passes.

I try to gather enough courage to talk to her. Not once do I succeed.

Annalise doesn't ever notice me. My only comfort is that she doesn't seem to notice other boys either.

I turn eighteen.

We age out of the reaping, and I finally convince myself to go talk to her.

As I begin walking up to her, I wrack my brain thinking of something to say.

 _"Hi! I've loved you for six years, and I hoped we could get to know each other?"_

That makes me sound like a creep.

 _"I never got enough courage to talk to you before, but can we be friends?"_

That makes me sound like a weakling.

I am about to chicken out and turn back, when I see who she is with.

A Seam boy. Tall, dark, handsome, muscular...

Annalise turns and gives him a brilliant smile. A dagger pierces my heart.

The boy takes her hand. The dagger sinks deeper.

The boy spins her around while she laughs. The dagger twists.

She leans forward and kisses him...

My heart is sliced into shreds.

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Looking back, I realize that sometimes certain things are never meant to be.

It was probably for the better.

I would rather see her happy with someone else, than have her be with me, unhappy.

I love her though.

Nothing will ever change how much I love her.

 **Thanks for reading! Please review.**


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